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(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 1.\ D. W. PARKER.

GIGAB. BOX.

No. 426,309. Patented Apr. 22, 1890.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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GIGAR BOX. No. 426,309. Patented Apr. 22, 1890.

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Fig. E. T i i -P Il.. l. /Y'\ m y u I I NTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DEXTER W. PARKER, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE CHARLESPARKER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

C I G A R B O X SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.426,309, dated April 22, 1890.

Application filed January 29, 1890. Serial No. 338,501. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DEXTER XV. PARKER, of Meriden, in the county of NewHaven and State of Connecticut, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Boxes for Holding 'Cigars and other Articles; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,making part of this application.

Previous to my invention it has been customary in the manufacture ofthat species of box or case, which comprises an exterior receptacle,made usually of wood, (or some other material not easily broken,) and aninner box or case, composed usually of glass or some other frangiblematerial, to sometimes have the lid portions or covers of the two boxesmade and arranged so as to be Wholly separable from each other andsometimes made and arranged so as to be relatively movable without beingwholly separable; butin the iirstnnentioned mode of construction theliability of the glass or other frangible lid to become misplaced andsometimes broken by falling out of place is a serious objection to thearticle, while in the last-mentioned mode of construction the duplexcase or package, so to speak, has been made so that the irremovablefrangible lid or cover cannot be applied to and held in elastic contactwith the outer edge of the inner receptacle in a manner to Warrant ahermetieal sealing of the interior case or vessel. In the duplex cases,or, in other words, in the wooden incased frangible boxes, as thusheretofore made, the separableness of the lids or covers of the twoboxes has, however, been found to be more or less objectionable intheuse or handling of the boxes; furthermore, as in opening the inner boxfor access to its contents and in reclosing it the frangible lid of theinner receptacle had to be wholly separated from the other parts of thecontrivance, there has been more or less liability of its breakage byfalling, and, finally, it has sometimes been dinicult or troublesome, ifnot impracticable, to always properly adjust the lid of the inner glassreceptacle relatively to the perimeter of the box and the rubber orother packing device to always make a perfectly-tight joint between saidlid and its box or case.

I propose to provide for use a box or case of the type above alluded toin which there shall be no danger of letting fall the frangible lid ofthe inner receptacle while removing and replacing it, no difficulty oreven inconvenience in getting the cover of the inner box alwaysperfectly adjusted relatively to the edges or perimeter of thebox-opening and relatively to the hermetically-sealing packing device,and in which the whole structure, while economic of manufacture, shallbe more eflicient in practical use and more desirable and durable thanany of the ineased glass or analogous boxes heretofore made.

To these main ends and-objects my invention may be said to consist,essentially, in a duplex case or box suitable for holding cigars andother things which it may be desired to keep hermetically sealed up,composed of the usual inner glass receptacle and an outer incasing-box,of wood, (or other infrangible materiah) and having the inner receptaclepropcrly supported on the bottom of the outer box, but having the lid orcover of the inner box irremovably combined with that of the outer case,all as will be hereinafter more fully described, and as will be moreparticularly pointed out in the claims of this specification.

To enable those skilled in the art to which my invention relates to makeand use duplex boxes or cases containing my improvement, I will nowproceed to more fully explain said invention, referring by letters tothe accompanying drawings, which form part of the speeilication, and inwhich I have shown my novel construction carried into effect in thatprecise form of contrivance in which I have so far practiced myinvention, though the latter may of course be practiced under variousmodifications.

ln the drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of a cigar-box madeaccording to my invent-ion, the box being represented as opened topermit free access to the interior of the inner receptacle. Fig. 2 isacross-sectional view taken at the line 0c of Fig. l, but showing bothreceptacles completely closed. Fig. 3 is a partial top View of the bodyportion only of the outer box to better show one of the two IOO springson which the inner glass box is supported. Fig. 4 is a partial verticalsection,.on an enlarged scale, showing a modification.

In the several figures the same part will be found always designated bythe same letter of reference. l

Referring now to Figs. l, 2, and 3, A represents the body or box portionproper, and B the lid of the outer wooden case, the lid B beingpreferably hinged to theupper edge of the box A, as clearly shown, andbeing formed dishing or with short flange-like portions b. Of course'this wooden box may be made of any desired size and shape or pattern,and by preference it has applied to its bottom interiorly two metallicsprings C C of the peculiar form shown, which may be conveniently andeconomically held in place by means simply of round-headed tacks orscrews driven or screwed into the bottom of the box A, all as clearlyillustrated by the drawings.

D is the inner box or receptacle, made of glass ,or other frangi blematerial well adapted to the reception and preservation of cigars orother contents, and this inner box D is seated or rested upon thesprings or yielding supports C C, all as shown. The upper edge of theglass receptacle D is preferably shaped so as to present a comparativelysharp ridge d, for a purpose to be presently explained.

E is the glass cover or lid of the inner box D; but, instead of beingseparable or detachable from both its box and the parts of the woodenbox, it is fitted within and securely fastened to` the interior of thedish-shaped lid B of the wooden box A in such manner, as shown, thatwhenever the lid B is closed the glass cover E, secured to B, will bebrought into and held in the proper position relatively to the upperedge of box D to perfectly close up the latter.

The glass cover E is preferably made, as shown, with a iange-like rim e,and in contact with the edge of said rim is arranged a rubber gasket orpacking-strip f, which in the case shown is securely held in place by ametallic frame g, that is shaped in cross-section, after the fashion ofan angle-iron and that is securely fastened by pins or small tacks tothe rim b of the lid of the wooden box, all as clearly shown. The gasketor rubber packing f may be composed of several separate fillets miteredtogether at the corners of the box-lid, or it may be one singleframe-like piece of rubber or other suitable material of any desired andproper thickness, and the metallic frame g, which I have used to secureand hold in place this gasket and to secure in place at the same timethe glass lid E, should leave uncovered such portions of the rubberpacking as are designed to make contact with the ridge-like upper edge dof the glass box.

It will be understood that as thus constructed the operation of myimproved contrivance is as follows: In closing the lid B of the woodenbox the glass cover E combined therewith will be first brought down intocontact with the perimeter of the glass boxD and then will force saidglass box bodily farther into the wooden box A until the lid of thelatter shall have become perfectly seated, when said lid is of course tobe fastened by any suitable device or means, and it will be seen that inthus simultaneously closing up both of the boxes the inner glass box Dwill be yieldingly confined between the opposing springs or metalliccushions C C, which press against its bottom, and the elastic gasket orpacking device f, which presses against its upperedge or perimeter d.

In that modification `or species of my invention illustrated at Fig. 4,in which the inner box is practically immovable vertically relatively.to the outer casing during the operation of closing up and unclosingthe boxes, by arranging the lid of the inner box so as to haveconsiderable movement relatively tothe outer box, so as to be supportedyieldingly by the spring, as shown, considerable advantage is to begained over the other shown form of myinvention in cases where the innerbox or receptacle may be filled with some comparatively heavy substanceor article, because, as will be easily understood, under suchcircumstances the action of the spring or springs used in combinationwith the movable lid of the inner box will be unaffected by the gravityof the contents of the inner box, whereas under the same circumstancesif the other form of my invention be used a very powerfulspring-pressure might be needed to liftor hold up the inner box whencompletely filled with a heavy material or substance, and of course whenthe contents of said inner box should have been partially or almostentirely removed the action of the springs would then be inconvenientlypowerful.

Of course, so far as the main feature or pith of my invention isconcerned, some other form of gasket and other meansfor holding in placethe glass lid relatively to the wooden lid might be employed7 and inlieu of the springs C some other means might be employed to afford anelastic seat to the glass box within the wooden one.

Indeed, so far as the main feature of my invention may be concerned, theglass box may be seated directly 011 the interior surface ofthe bottomof the wooden box, and the lid thereof may be arranged movably, but notremovably, relatively to the lid of the wooden box, all as clearly shownin the modification which I have exhibited at Fig. 4.

The glass box D should be made slightly smaller than the incasing woodenbox A, for purposes well understood.

I claim- 1. The combination of the outer casing provided with a suitablelid or cover adapted to close it, an interiorly-arranged receptacle,

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a cover for the said interior box inseparably combined with the lid ofthe outer casing, and a suitable packing device carried by the cover ofthe outer casing and adapted to make a tight joint between the top edgeof the inner box audits lid, the parts of the inner box being soarranged relatively to those of the outer box as to permit a yieldingcontact between them on closing the outer casing, all in substantiallythe manner and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

2. In combination with the outer casing provided with a suitable lid orcover adapted to close it, an interiorly-arranged receptacle, a suitablepacking device carried by the cover of the outer casing and adapted tomake a tight joint between the top edge of the inner box and its lid, acover for the said interior box inseparably combined with the lid of theouter casing, and a spring arranged between the two covers and operatingto force and hold the cover of the interior box against the said packingdevice, the whole arranged and operating together in substantially themanner and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

3. In a duplex box of the type shown and described, the combination,with the out-er box, a separate inner receptacle, a lid for the innerbox, inseparably combined with the cover of the outer box, and a gasketoperating to make a tightjoint between the upper edge of the innerboxand its lid, of means, substantially such as described, operating toperform the double function of the retention of the inner box-lidwithinthe coverof the outer box and the retention in a iixed position ofthe rubber packing or gasket employed to effect the hermetical sealingof the inner receptacle, all substautiallyas hereinbcfore set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 17th day of January,1890.

DEXTER W'. PARKER.

In presence of- LEWIS F. GRIsWoLD, FREDERICK PEASE.

